Home Remedies: Ulcers

Ulcers were once seen as the scourge of stressed Type A executives and older people with weak constitutions. Now, revolutionary discoveries are changing the way doctors think about and treat painful ulcers. Unfortunately, the news hasn’t made it to everyone who has ulcers.

Despite what many have thought for years, anyone at any age can get ulcers, and roughly 25 million Americans have them. The problem starts when a chronic sore develops either in the protective lining of the stomach or in the part of the intestine just below the stomach, which is called the duodenum. When your stomach’s caustic acid seeps over this sore, you will know it by the burning pain you feel, says Martin Brotman, M.D., gastroenterologist at the California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco. As you age, you can be at further risk for this problem, too. Taking too many painkillers like aspirin or ibuprofen can irritate your stomach lining and put you at greater risk. What’s more, aging adults have a higher incidence of infection by a bacteria called Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), which is associated with virtually all duodenal ulcers. About 60 percent of Americans age 60 and over have H. pylori.

If you have burning abdominal pain—especially when your stomach is empty—or if you are awakened at night by this pain, see your doctor. He can determine what the problem is. If it is an ulcer, he will need to figure out where it is and what is causing it in order to treat it properly. He may, for example, order a blood test for the H. pylori bacteria. Whatever the cause, ulcers require prompt, supervised medical treatment to be healed properly, says Dr. Brotman. And while your ulcer is mending, use these tips to speed the healing process and to keep from irritating the sore spot in your stomach.

Try This First

Eat small. Although you might notice acid pain most when you have an empty stomach, the act of eating also signals the stomach to secrete acid to digest food. To keep that acid at manageable levels, try to eat smaller, more frequent meals rather than three big meals, says Roger L. Gebhard, M.D., gastroenterologist at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center and professor of medicine in the division of gastroenterology at the University of Minnesota, both in Minneapolis.

Other Wise Ways

Don’t hold the onions. As a precautionary measure, add onions to your sandwiches, salads, and other meals. A study in the Netherlands found that the odorous sulfur compounds found in onions help fight the H. pylori bacteria, linked with ulcers and stomach cancer.

Perk up with pink. Over-the-counter stomach remedies like Pepto-Bismol can coat your stomach and provide temporary relief from acid, says Dr. Gebhard. Follow the instructions on the bottle when using any bismuth product such as this, as excessive use can be harmful, he says.

Be smoke-free. If you smoke, you have yet another reason to quit. Not only can smoking delay the healing of existing ulcers but also it may help cause them, says Melissa Palmer, M.D., gastroenterologist and liver specialist in private practice in New York City.

Can the citrus. Avoid high-acid citrus foods and juices; they may aggravate ulcer symptoms, says Marie L. Borum, M.D., assistant professor of medicine in the division of gastroenterology and nutrition at George Washington University Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

Abstain from alcohol. If you like a cocktail or a glass of wine with dinner, scratch it from your diet while your ulcer is mending, says Dr. Brotman. Alcohol stimulates acid production. What’s more, alcohol can irritate your stomach lining.

Go easy on the milk. Dairy products, such as milk and yogurt, used to be recommended for those with ulcers. It is now known that they stimulate acid secretion, so it is probably not good to use them to soothe ulcer pain, says Dr. Gebhard.

Managing Your Meds

Ironically, agonizing ulcers not caused by Helicobacter pylori bacteria often develop from the use of common pain relievers. “The family of drugs known as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) interferes with the body’s ability to maintain its protective lining in the stomach and intestine,” says W. Steven Pray, Ph.D., R.Ph., professor of nonprescription drug products at Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford. NSAID-related ulcers occur more frequently among people over the age of 60, because they use these drugs more often than younger people do. If you need a pain reliever and you have an ulcer, are recovering from one, or simply want to avoid problems with ulcers, ask your doctor if acetaminophen would be suitable, says Dr. Pray. Popularly used over-the-counter and prescription NSAIDs include aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen (Aleve), ketoprofen (Orudis KT), diclofenac (Voltaren), etodolac (Lodine), and oxaprozin (Daypro).

For pain, take acetaminophen. If you have been taking aspirin or other over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication for pain, switch to acetaminophen. Aspirin and other anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen can increase your risk of ulcer and irritate your stomach lining, says Dr. Brotman.

Feel great with ginger. Ginger is considered an herbal remedy to help protect against ulcers. Take it in capsules, in root form, or as tea, says Mindy Green, director of education services at the Herb Research Foundation in Boulder, Colorado. You will find ginger in these forms at many drugstores and natural food stores. Fresh ginger is available in most grocery stores. To make tea from fresh ginger, cut a quarter-inch slice of a one-inch-round chunk of ginger, place it in a pot containing a cup of water, and simmer it for 10 to 15 minutes. While fresh ginger is safe when used as a spice, some forms of ginger aren’t recommended for everyone. Ginger may increase bile secretion, so if you have gallstones, do not use therapeutic amounts of dried ginger or ginger powder without guidance from a health-care practitioner.

Choose vegetables for your vittles. Fiber and vitamin A from vegetables and fresh fruits may help protect against ulcers. Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health studied the relationship of dietary factors and ulcer risk in nearly 50,000 men ages 40 to 75 years. Those with a higher consumption of fruits and vegetables were found to be less likely to develop ulcers than men who didn’t add those foods to their fare. How fiber is of benefit in the reduction of ulcer risk is not yet understood, but the researchers believe that vitamin A may help protect the lining of the stomach and duodenum by increasing mucus production there.